Cars that got stuck in traffic and subsequently burned in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Lahaina, the town destroyed by the fire, had only one major road in and out, not unlike many small communities around the United States. — ©2023 The New York Times Company
THE devastation from the Maui wildfire, the deadliest in the United States in more than a century, reveals the flaws in Hawaii’s efforts to adapt to climate change — and points to ways the state can better protect residents from future fires.
That list of shortcomings includes leaving huge areas of land covered in highly flammable invasive grasses; failing to adopt wildfire-resistant building standards; and shutting down dams, reducing the island’s ability to store water.
“There are very serious questions about how we maintain resiliency and sustainability with the increasing prevalence of climate-related disasters,” state senator Jarrett Keohokalole said.
Some of the shortcomings identified by safety advocates reflect challenges around the country as the planet continues to warm and the threat from wildfires grows. But others are specific to Hawaii.
Part of the problem is the sheer diversity of threats.
“Hawaii is a leader among states in its approach to adaptation planning, particularly as it relates to sea level rise, extreme storms and infrastructure,” said Mark Rupp, adaptation programme director for the Georgetown Climate Centre in Washington. “The challenge that Hawaii and all states are facing is the ways in which climate change is upending the assumptions that underlie the best thought-out plans.”
The state lacks building standards that would better protect structures against wildfires, for example, by requiring the use of fire-resistant materials and construction techniques, or by maintaining space around structures that are clear of flammable vegetation.
That puts Hawaii out of step with much of the country: 21 states, including California and most other Western states, have adopted those standards, according to the International Code Council, the Washington-based non-profit group that compiles them.
In July, Governor Josh Green of Hawaii issued an order that stops the state from adopting new or updated building standards. He said the move was necessary to address a severe housing shortage.
Attempts to block tougher building codes in the name of affordability are common nationwide, even if it sacrifices safety, said Michele Steinberg, wildfire division director for the National Fire Protection Association.
A spokesperson for the state, Claudia Rapkoch, said in an email that the order is only expected to be in place for up to one year and that counties have the authority to adopt their own building codes.
Drought-ravaged land near Lahaina. The most pressing challenge, experts say, is the accumulation of invasive, highly flammable grasses across the state, a widely recognised problem but one that the state and private landowners have largely failed to address. — ©2023 The New York Times Company
“Historically, widespread damage from natural disasters in Hawaii was not caused by fires,” Rapkoch said. “Hawaii is generally at higher risk of hurricanes and tsunamis than wildfires.”
Stronger building standards might not have made a significant difference in Lahaina, where many structures were historic, according to Karl Fippinger, vice-president for fire and disaster mitigation at the code council. But they could better protect the structures that get built in their place, as well as new construction around the state.
“Every state should be using appropriate wildfire-related standards for new construction and rebuilds,” Steinberg said. “We see this as a really big problem.”
The state should also consider structural changes with wildfire risk in mind, experts said.
For example, Lahaina, the town destroyed by the fire, had only one major road in and out, not unlike many small communities around the United States. Where that’s the case, officials should build fire-resistant shelters that can house a large number of people, Steinberg said.
State senator Angus McKelvey, who represents Lahaina, offered a list of other changes he hopes to see in the aftermath of the fire, including building better firebreaks along the highway leading into town; an investigation of why the early warning system failed; and giving firefighters better training and equipment.
Another useful change would be expanding the number of homes with solar panels and batteries, said Josh Stanbro, the former chief resilience officer for Honolulu.
Initial reports suggest that sparks from power lines operated by the state’s power provider, Hawaiian Electric, may have started the fire. That has prompted criticism that the power company should have cut off power to those lines as the fire risk grew. The company is now facing lawsuits.
Hawaii has been experiencing drought for several years, making the state vulnerable to fire. But the state has also been losing its ability to store water, exacerbating the problem.
Hawaii has more than 100 dams, many built to provide irrigation water for the sugar cane industry that dominated the island until the end of the 20th century. After the industry collapsed in the face of international competition, some of those dams fell into disrepair.
In 2006, a dam burst on Kauai, killing seven people and leading the state to tighten standards. But rather than meet new standards, some private owners simply destroyed their dams. Since then, 21 dams have been breached or removed, according to state records. — ©2023 The New York Times Company
